The Most Forgotten Rule of Driving

Driving is a gift that many take for granted. Being a senior in high school, I was one of few who has been gifted with life without many driving disasters. Some may say this is luck, which I partially agree with, but I think this is due to the skills taught to me in driver’s education and by my parents as well. Some say I might have been gifted with a car with more safety features and technology than one might not need, however, why does my car remain in close to perfect condition if they aren’t needed.

Before going into driver’s ed, my dad always taught me about his experiences on the road. Most of which I didn’t realize applied to my own real-life driving experiences. Being in a job field where he has to drive a lot himself, he’s had more experience on the road than most. He taught me one very valuable lesson that I think most people don’t learn. He always has told me since the day I first started driving, “Assume all other drivers are idiots, then you won’t be as surprised when they do something stupid.” As bad as it may sound, it makes a lot of sense to me. We all know there are some very good drivers out there who know and follow every rule in the book, however many high school students I’ve seen abuse all these rules. Knowing that these people exist out there on the road gave me a reason to assume that they could be anywhere.

One major part of this where I think it’s applied most is simple things like turn signals. People either always use them or never do. Speaking for myself, I know I get into habits where I sometimes forget as well. I always go back to what I was taught though. If I am planning on the worst to happen in a driving scenario, then I will be prepared to handle it. Whether that’s keeping a good distance from the car in front of me, or being respectful of others. You never know when someone could take a sharp turn or slam the brakes out of nowhere. In that case, you have to assume it will happen.

During driver’s ed, we are taught things similar to this rule like, how far away to stay from another car at a light, keeping a safe following distance from a car when driving in different areas, and even things like looking both ways even at a green light. These skills are some of the main things that I remembered being taught because they all apply to the rule I was taught by my dad. Keeping a safe distance at a light or when driving behind someone can prepare you for anything that comes your way. Looking both ways even at lights is important. I got marked down on my driving test because of this, however now I understand the importance of this. I have seen many people nowadays on their phones when they are driving through busy areas where there are stoplights. Therefore, somebody could easily anytime not look up and go right through an intersection at a red light. Looking both ways could help you notice a car that is clearly not going to be stopping any time soon.

In the end, there are many components that make the good drivers stand out amongst the bad ones. I don’t think being a good driver is dependent on how good you are at reading the driver’s education packets we are given. I don’t think it necessarily makes you a bad driver, however, I think anything learned in a book is going to slow one down as opposed to being ready to apply that knowledge in any given situation. In driving, that decision will have to be made quicker than one might be prepared for. Being quick on your feet could also make you a better driver than many I think too. However, just being able to react in a situation might not always make you do the right thing in a situation. When under pressure, many of us do the first thing that comes to mind, and sometimes that thing can be more dangerous than the simple fender bender that might have occurred. I think in the end, my dad was right, If I assume the car next to me is about to do something stupid, then I will be prepared to act in any situation.